Your home is a busy place. People are constantly working, cooking, playing, cleaning, washing and moving things around. That kind of activity is completely normal, but it can generate small particles and chemicals that accumulate in the air you breathe. Whether your home is large or small, old or new, the interior air could be causing breathing problems, in particular for people with allergies and asthma.

There are simple things that you can put in place to clean up the air inside your home, so that everyone can breathe easier. If you have allergies or asthma, you are sensitive to particular triggers. These triggers can ignite a reaction in your lungs and other parts of your body. Triggers may be found indoors and outdoors. They may be simple things like:

• Illnessescolds and influenza
  

• Tobacco smoke and wood smoke from the fireplace
  

• Allergens such as dust mites, cockroaches, pollen, molds, animal dander, tiny scales or particles from hair, feathers, or dead skin cells and saliva from pets
  

• Perfumes, paint, hair spray, or any other strong odors or fumes

It is important to identify your triggers. This isnt always easy, so you should experiment by staying away from one suspected trigger at a time. You can tell if it is a problem if you see improvement when it is removed. It is much more difficult to control your triggers outdoors. So, if the air pollution and pollen levels are high, it is an excellent idea to stay indoors. The air in your home is easier for you to control. In some cases, people with asthma and allergies become aware that their symptoms deteriorate at night. Controlling triggers in the bedroom is the best place to start.

There are air cleaning machines that you may purchase that can eradicate some of the triggers in your home. Unfortunately, they will not remove them all. Some air cleaners utilize an electrical charge that makes ozone, which many manufacturers claim will purify the air. Sadly, ozone irritates the lungs, and is a particular problem for people with asthma. The American Lung Association does not recommend the use of air cleaners that produce ozone, and is printed in their brochure, Facts about home control of allergies and asthma. They advise that you look for a mechanical air cleaner with a HEPA, or preferably a hyper-HEPA filter, that does not produce ozone and can efficiently trap large and small particles.